Opportunities Fund

Submissions for the FEA Opportunities Fund are now closed. Thank you for your interest.

About the Fund

Future Earth Australia (FEA) recognises the importance of supporting early-career researchers and professionals (ECRPs) as the future leaders of sustainability. The Opportunities Fund is a newly formed initiative to promote interdisciplinary capabilities and cross-institutional collaboration between ECRPs.

This program has been generously supported by Grander's Trust.

Grant Levels

• Seizing Opportunities grants: small bursary grants (A$200 – $1,000) to harness an existing opportunity.
• Creating Opportunities grants: medium-sized competitive grants (A$1,000 – $5,000) to generate or build an opportunity for collaboration.

Eligibility

At the time of submission, an applicant must be employed in or volunteering in the sustainability or environment sector (including creative arts) as a researcher or professional. This includes:

• Honours and Masters students or PhD candidates
• Government or not-for-profit employees
• Community group or private sector employees

Early-career is defined as the first 15 years of career, not including any career breaks taken. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, or other First Nations peoples working in the broader environment sector are encouraged to apply.

For Creating Opportunities grants, the Principal Investigator/team leader must be an ECRP from one of the following institutions:

• Australian National University
• Griffith University
• RMIT
• University of the Sunshine Coast
• Monash University
• University of Sydney
• Western Sydney University
• CSIRO

Other collaborators may come from anywhere, as long as they meet the general eligibility criteria.

Seizing Opportunities Grants

Applications require:

• Your CV as an attachment
• The amount of funds sought (A$200 – $1,000)
• The purpose and use of the funds
• How it will benefit your skills, career development, research prospects, or knowledge in your field(s)
• How it aligns with FEA’s mission to establish an interconnected platform of expertise and innovation for sustainability challenges

Examples of use include:

• Travel or registration to a conference or professional event
• Skills development (e.g., media training, mangrove monitoring, SCUBA course)
• Publishing or production costs of an artwork communicating sustainability solutions

Applications are assessed on the demonstrated value of the bursary to professional development and alignment with FEA’s mission.

Creating Opportunities Grants

Applications must be tied to the outcomes or recommendations of one of FEA’s three Decadal Plans:

• Sustainable Cities and Regions: 10-year strategy to enable urban systems transformation
• Sustainable Oceans and Coasts National Strategy 2021-2030
• A National Strategy for Just Adaptation – Reimagining climate adaptation

Collaborations across disciplines, institutions, cultures, experiences, and knowledges are highly favoured.

Applications are assessed using the following criteria:

• Alignment with one or more of FEA’s National Strategies
• Demonstrated cross-institutional or transdisciplinary collaboration
• Team lead from an FEA member institution
• Potential outcomes of the activity

Reporting Requirements

Successful applicants must submit a brief report detailing the outcomes of their activity within 12 months of receiving funds. Any publication or communications resulting from funded activities must acknowledge Future Earth Australia and Grander’s Trust.

Contact

For more information, email Futureearthaustralia@science.org.au.